This course invites students in various stages of their doctoral thesis to think through, write and process the ethical questions and themes in their own ongoing research projects. It provides a compact knowledge package on ethical issues concerning the research design, data collection/field work and writing-up phases. The course consists of lectures, discussion & student presentations in class and assignments.

Learning outcomes: After the course, students will

- be better equipped to think about and deal with ethical issues at different phases of their research projects
- have skills to discuss and identify issues concerning the ethics both in relation to research participant and the academic community (treatment of participants, informed consent, data lifespan, publication and ethical reporting)
- have knowledge on the key guidelines concerning ethical conduct and know where to go for further information
- have practical tools and means for the writing-up of ethical question in the doctoral thesis.
- have access to an information package on ethics
- know the basic functions of Turnitin plagiarism checker programme

Course Schedule: Tuesdays 17.3., 24.3., 31.3. and 14.4.2015 at 10-16

Place: KH 3 (Main building), except 31.3. at 14-16 Ml 40 (Pinni B, computer classroom)

17.3.2015

10.00. -11.30. Introduction to research ethics  

11.30. -12.15. Lunch

12.15.-14.00 Research ethical guidelines, principles and codes

14.00-14.15. Coffee break

14.15.- 15.30.  Examples of research ethical problems

24.3.2015

10.00. -11.30. Ethical questions concerning the research topic, funding and selection of method 

11.30. -12.15. Lunch

12.15.-14.00 Ethical questions concerning studying humans (data-collection, information consent, ethical encounter with participants, analysis and interpretation)

14.00.-14.15. Coffee break

14.15.-15.30. Doctoral student’s presentations

31.3.2015

10.00.-11.30.  Ethical questions concerning the sources of the research, writing a thesis and plagiarism

11.30.-12.15. Lunch break

12.15. -14.00. Doctoral student’s presentations

14.00.-14.15. Coffee break

14.15.-15.30.  Introduction of the plagiarism program: Turnitin. Place: Computer classroom

14.4.2015

10.00.-11.30.  Doctoral student’s presentations

11.30.-12.15. Lunch break

12.15. -14.00. Ethical questions concerning the feedback, supervision

14.00.-14.15. Coffee break

14.15.-15.30. Securing the data lifespan, data archiving and ethical questions concerning research community and responsibilities of researcher as an expert in scientific committees or in media

Enrolment in NettiOpsu. At the maximum 25 students. Selection method is draw. Please check the selection result from NettiOpsu after the enrolment period.

Further information

Please Note: Those accepted to the course are required to send in a pre-assignment (max one page A 4) through Moodle.

THE PRE-ASSIGNMENT: Please include the following in short:
1)    Your name & discipline
2)    Your Research topic
3)    Potential ethical issues you have encountered or anticipated to encounter as part of your doctoral research and solutions you may already have in mind
4)    Any issues relating to research ethics you wish to be discussed during the course
5)    Please indicate if you are not willing to present some key ethical themes concerning your own doctoral work, otherwise it is presumed that you could present briefly during the course the ethical questions that you are facing during your research. There is a short (max. 3 page) writing task for those who don’t deliver a brief oral presentation during the course.